Boasting that all too familiar 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, it still undeniably comes across as a high-caliber tablet – though it’s nothing astoundingly superior to what we’ve seen previously. Much like the many other Honeycomb tablets before it, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 provides a responsive navigation experience with few instances of choppiness or slowdown in landscape. However, we’re still experiencing some delay with the tablet’s operation in portrait, which is clearly something related to Honeycomb’s programming. Strangely though, the tablet is able to achieve average Quadrant scores of 1,550, which is rather low compared to similarly spec’d tablets.

Interestingly enough, the tablet launches without Samsung’s full-blown customized homescreen UI with TouchWiz, but rather, we’re presented with a stock Honeycomb experience that has some minor touch ups. In fact, Samsung's presence is found in things like the camera UI and on-screen keyboard. Depending on your preference, some can see it as a good thing, but it naturally doesn’t provide any additional widgets that we’re normally accustomed to seeing. With Android 3.1 Honeycomb in tow, it offers a few subtle changes, like the ability to resize certain widgets to specific lengths, but overall, it doesn’t necessarily offer anything drastically different from other Honeycomb tablets. If you want to learn more about Honeycomb’s vast personalization aspects and core features, then you can read about it in our in-depth Honeycomb walkthrough.

We should definitely note though that Samsung's TouchWiz UI, Samsung Media Hub, and enterprise solutions will still come to the GALAXY Tab 10.1 through a future software update.GALAXY Tab 10.1

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 presents a stock Honeycomb experience

Taking into account that Honeycomb has been around for a few months now, we’re rather bummed to find that there are currently 72 tablet-optimized apps in the Android Market. Besides the Android Market, you can also download apps via the Samsung Apps hub – albeit, there are only 6 offerings available on there. To make matters worse, they’re nothing different from what’s found already in the Android Market – these include all the Angry Birds games, i-Inter, blinkx Beat, and Zkatter: Galaxy.

Android Market

Samsung Apps hub

Currently there is a very small numberof tablet-optimized apps in the Android Market

Organizer and Messaging:

Being a largely stock Honeycomb tablet, there is nothing different hardwired into the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1’s Calculator, Calendar, and Contacts apps. As can be expected from any Android device, information is synced across your Google account, like your calendar and address book, with Honeycomb adding a visual flare and usability optimized to take advantage of the tablet form factor.

Calculator

Calendar

Plentiful with its real estate, typing for the most part is a satisfying experience – even for those who happen to have larger sized fingers. Not only are we given the stock Honeycomb keyboard, but it even incorporates the Samsung and TalkBack keyboards. Generally, all three exhibit the same responsive feel when typing, but the only difference among the three is their physical layouts. In reality, they all work accordingly like they should, but the TalkBack keyboard is the least favorable one since it’s basically the stock keyboard you find with Android for smartphones – but stretched out.

Samsung keyboard

Honeycomb keyboard

TalkBack keyboard

On-screen keyboards

With an abundant amount of screen real estate, the Gmail experience is a pleasure to use, with threaded view, the ability to label items and a two-panel layout that presents emails in their full fidelity. Alternatively, setting up other email accounts is a breeze, requiring an email address and password for automatic setup. However, if it’s not one of the popular email services out there, you’ll need additional information to get things set up.

Email

Internet and Connectivity:

Looking back at the original Samsung Galaxy Tab, the biggest memorable annoyance we found was none other than its laggy and sometimes wonky web browsing experience. Fortunately, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 eases our worries with its flawless execution as it loads pages relatively quick, offers responsive navigation, and brings the web in full fidelity with Flash support (after it’s installed). However, we still encounter some hiccups along the way, like random crashes, but it’s not something that happens all the time.

Web browsing with the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

Nothing out of the ordinary with this Wi-Fi only tablet, but it’s still accompanied by the usual set of connectivity features – like aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, and 802.11 b/g/n. Launching Google Maps for the very first time, it’s able to hone into our exact location within 10 seconds. Meanwhile, we didn’t experience any problems connecting Bluetooth peripherals to it or retaining a solid connection to a Wi-Fi hotspot.

So now , they spotted no MSD card slot and also lack of HDMI port in this 10.1 incher !!
certainly iPhoneArena , gave 8.5 to iPad.
And btw my galaxy tab has suffered very bad drops and its "plastic" still holds on itself . . . . . .

9.Xpple (unregistered)

Yes, it seems that nearly all "tech" sites now just glance over all the things that are missing in any Apple product but point them out for non-apple devices. Just sad. Maybe it's because Apple will do mean things if you talk bad about their stuff lol.

If its a con for one device and another device is the same then it must be a con for that device as well!

The problem is that every company is rushing out the Android tablets and half assing it. The transformer tablet is pretty cool. The Xoom's problem is it was released based on empty promises. The og galaxy tab is a 7 at best, The flyer is pretty nice but only runs gingerbread and a whole lotta sense. What android tablets are worthy of a 8.5 or better?

7.feefa11 (unregistered)

Maybe an aluminium construction would give it an edge? How about an operating system that puts the user in charge, or maybe the ability to use more than one specific media player on your computer? ohh wait.... iphonearena

Umm I have this tablet, it's way better than than an 8. Especially when the iPad 2 has 8.5. Lighter by far than all the other tablets I've used (I've gotten my hands on all of them in the US), Thin, Used it for about 13 hours of using it before I needed to charge it on the second day. I like that you can hold it with one hand very easily too. It's great. Best tab, to date for sure.

my LG Slate is better than an ipad2. Even has the second best screen only to the samsung.. which.. wouldnt that make the ipad at least 3rd? lol.
so far id put them in this order

9.0 samsung tablet 10.1/8.9 (best screen, thinnest, lightest, first to be able to add custom features to Honeycomb.. as well as first to honeycomb 3.1)
8.5 LG Slate (higher res screen than xoom plus HDMI out and actual 4g out of the box)
8.0 Xoom/ipad2

16.Jep (unregistered)

I love, love, LOVE my Galaxy Tab 10.1! I was debating between iPad2 or Xoom, but now I'm so glad that I got the 10.1. I don't get why it didn't score as high as iPad2 (or even higher) because it should: aside from the different OS, both tablets have very comparable (if not the same) features. And I've always felt that different OS is for different people so that's really no point to compare (though I personally prefer Android). The only thing I could complain about 10.1 (or Android tablets in general) is that there are not as many apps available, but hey, I found all the apps I need for work and play...

@carlos: Skype app is available for 10.1, but no video chat function which is really dumb. I use Google Talk instead for video chat.

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